Strange Happenings
by random.randomnesselfsandfun1
Summary: This is a story about, magic, spies, romance, amnesia, and figuring out who you really are.
1. Awakening

**(you can skip this if you want...)**

**ARGELFRASTER!!!**

**--hiss--**

**Me: oops. *shrugs* Oh well! --skips off--**

**HELLO PEOPLES!!!! THAT WAS AN ALLUSION! Although I can't say that the thing I made a reference too is exactly well known....oh well.**

**Yes, I do realize that that was incredibly random. No I am not (technically) insane....**

**ANYWAY, It's late, and it's saturday, and I'm really bored...so I decided to write some authors notes. I wrote the actual first chapter/prolouge thingy like 5 days ago, but I didn't write the authors notes, so here I am randomly typing. (I'm pretty random, If you can't tell....)**

**SITUATION THAT WILL CLEAR UP EVERYTHING:**

**My computer blocks the fanfiction login page.**

**--GASP!!--**

**It doesn't block anything on fanfiction except for the login page, actually.**

**Ironic, isn't it?**

**So, therefore, I wont be able to update as often, seeing as how I cannot actually log into my account.**

**My Best Friend (who I have telepathy with--A.K.A Twilight Dork) Is going to post all my chapters for me! (YAY!)**

**So, yah. But I can still read comments without logging in.**

**Oh, and I don't know what a beta is.....**

**AHHH!!!**

***gets into fighting position, ready to attack the CIA agent***

**Me: oops...its just a scare crow....hehehehe *goes into blonde mode* Wait--I thought scarecrows weren't real?!? --looks around frantically-- B-but...**

**(No offense to blondes....I am one...I just use it to my advantage...[ I always say that if I had to be a type of stereotypical blonde, I would be the idiot one secretly plotting world domination..])**

**Ok, so incase you hadn't noticed, I'm extremely paranoid. Like, The-CIA-is-stalking-me paranoid. (this will come out in the story...MWA-AH-AH-AH!!!)**

**Ok, so this authors note is really long and has almost absolutely nothing to do with the actuall story, so I'm going to end it here. Hope I didn't bore you out of your mind.**

**NOW READ!!!!:**

Chapter 1: Awakening

I was awoken by the soft sound of waves crashing onto the shore. All around me was pitch black, and I could hardly see a thing except for the huge white moon hanging in the sky.

I shivered as a slight breeze sent tendrils of golden hair whipping across my face. I sat up in what felt like sand and wrapped my arms around my knees, barely moving until my eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing me to see.

I realized that I was on a beach, one that; I realized as I turned my head left and right; stretched on for as far as I could see. My feet suddenly felt like ice, and looked down to notice that the surf had risen and was now covering my bare toes. Thats strange, I thought, why am I not wearing any shoes? I stood up only to realize that I was wearing nothing but a frilly, lacey, calf length powder blue silk ball gown. I felt my cheeks heat up and immediately ducked my head, until I remembered that I was alone on this deserted neverending beach.

Feeling silly, I came to the conclusion that I was probably at a dance and had decided to go for a walk along the beach. But, I didn't recognize anything! I brushed this thought away and started walking down the beach, reveling in the feeling of the sand in my toes.

A couple minutes later I realized that I had unconciously been humming an unfamiliar tune, that, by the sound of it, was a lullaby. I laughed out loud, wondering where in the world I had learned a lullaby. I immediatly felt like an idiot, here I was on an unfamiliar beach, wearing unfamiliar clothes, humming an unfamiliar song, a lullaby at that, yet I wasn't feeling panicked, and I wasn't doing anything to help my strange situation. I MUST be going insane. I wasn't an eight year old, I was--the thought stopped cold.

I couldn't remember how old I was.

A cold, sinking feeling settled in my stomach. It suddenly dawned on me that I couldn't remember anything about myself.

I didn't know my name, I didn't know my age, I didn't know where I was, and I didn't even know what year it was.

I didn't know if I had a job, who I worked for, what country I lived in. I didn't know my parents' name's, where I grew up, I had no childhood memories. I didn't know where I lived, If I had a boyfriend, if I owned a house or an appartment.

I was a person without an identity.

And if the tugging at the back of my mind, and the wave of apprehension I felt wash over me were correct, I hadn't gotten amnesia picking daisies.

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**DUN DUN DUN! Yes, I realize that that was short, but I had to introduce you to the story. I will update when I can. Please review! I don't really care if you just say 'nice' or if you go into a random rant about the new curtains you just got. Beggars can't be choosers. *CONTEST* anyone who can figure out what book/series I made a reference too, will get a reference in my story/authors note in a really random/creative way.**

**--Looks up at you with big, blonde, adorable pouty eyes-- Please review?**

**.....Why do I have he feeling that the authors note was longer than the actual chapter?**

**Sincerely,**

**sweeteangel1**


	2. Chapter 2

** Oh. My. Gosh.**

**I got two whole reviews!!! (TwilightDork doesn't count, because I know where she lives.)**

**I almost screamed when I realized I had gotten two reviews!!**

***Starts hyperventalating***

**THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!**

**I would send you a PM, but you know, I can't log in to my account.**

**You guys are awesome!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own...Oh wait! I do! It's all mine, mine, MINEE!!!! Haha! SUCKERS!! Mine...**

The much longer and much more awesome Chapter 2:

I shivered and walked more quickly up the beach; trying to repress the depressing thoughts that threatened to leave me curled up on the sand in a ball of pain. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists, focusing on anything but my newfound amnesia. _What am I going to do? How am I going to survive?_

My repressing wasn't working very well.

I clenched my fists tighter and resorted to crawling up the beach on my hands and knees; anything to keep the pain away. I focused on the sound of the waves. _Crash...BOOM! Crash. _They almost seemed to sigh. _How calming,_ I thought to myself, not really meaning it but using it as a distraction. But I soon found it to be true. Gradually, the waves unconciously lolled me into a sense of peace. I didn't know why, but I also felt protected by the waves, and at home.

_Maybe I grew up around the ocean. _Oops, bad idea. I grit my teeth; preparing myself for the onslaught of unpleasant thoughts that were sure to follow.

_How am I going to survive? No home, no family, no job._

_I wonder what kind of person I used to be. Maybe a dancer, or a teacher, or maybe i was a cereal killer! Maybe that's why I have amnesia! I bet the police found me out, but decided not to kill me, so instead somehow gave me amnesia! It's true that males are twice as likely to get charged guilty for murder than women. _I furrowed my brow. Where had that come from? But I had little time to ponder this, as the next thought had just hit me.

_I wonder where I am._ _I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere in the U.S...._The thought was confirmed by a stamp with the national flag on it stuck to a broken glass bottle.

_Glass. I wonder if I liked glass. I wonder if I used to have a house made completely out of glass that looked over the ocean. There would have been the color aqua everywhere, along with shells, and pictures of lighthouses lining the walls. _I silenlty laughed at myself, thinking of how likely this would be, not to mention unconventional. You wouldn't have any privacy! I sighed, _One can only dream, _and started to investigate the bottle.

Apon further investigation, I realized that the bottle was, in fact, whole, and only gave the appearance of being broken because it was half covered in the soft white sand of the beach. It was a slightly murky green glass bottle, and almost looked like an antique; like one of the bottles that existed in the 1800's. Once again, I was hit by the question of where all this knowledge was coming from. I brushed it off and instead turned my focus to the strange bottle. _I wonder how long it's been buried here? _I thought as I absent-mindedly turned it around in my hands. The full moon was just enough light to see by, and as I turned the bottle a certain way, I caught I glimpse of white.

Shocked, I unthinkingly dropped the bottle and drew my hands back quickly as if I had been slapped. Once I had regained rational sense, I chided myself for my stupidity and picked the bottle back up, trying futiley to see inside. _It couldn't be....could it?_

I squinted my eyes, and turned the bottle a certain way again, and there, lying inside, was a rolled up piece of paper.

* * *

**Okay, so I guess I could be mean and stop it here, but I feel bad for not updating in so long, and for giving you a really short first chapter, and I know that I'd much rather have a couple long chapters than a bunch of short chapters. It makes the story more flowy, I guess. And nothing really important has happened yet, so Viola!**

* * *

I spent a quarter of an hour trying to open that bottle, but it just wouldn't budge! I tried pulling off the cork by hand, but, obviously, the ocean had sealed it so tight that I doubt even the world's strongest man could pull it off. I beat the bottle against the sand, tried to saw it open with shells, and even once considered just breaking the glass to get the note out; but I just couldn't bare to break something so old and rare.

After 15 minutes I was exausted, and still had made no headway towards finding out who or where I was; the most important thing at the moment. Still, my curiousity was too much for me to just leave the bottle on the beach, so I tucked it into my dress that, surprisingly, had pockets.

I was much to aggravated and curious as to what was in the bottle for me to concentrate long; a relief because it meant I wasn't able to ponder my current situation. Though also a nuicance because it also meant I wasn't able to think straight long enough to form a sensible plan for opening the bottle. I settled for angrily walking farther down the beach, my subconcious still looking for any clue as to where I might be.

I had to keep my head down most of the time though, to make sure that I didn't cut my bare feet on any of the sharp shells that littered the beach. I was so absorbed in dodging shells and scuffing my feet in the damp sand that I didn't notice the dark figure farther up the beach until I came close enough to hear him. Apparently, he hadn't been as careful, and from where I was standing I could see a relatively thick red line running down the length of his foot, where he had obviously cut himself on a shell. And he was swearing like a sailor about it too.

I started giggling; I couldn't help it. It's not everyday that you see a 17 year old guy flopping around on one foot like he was bitten by a snake, all the while swearing at the top of his lungs. I froze when he stopped flailing about, afraid that he had heard me giggling. _I don't think he could have heard me over all the racket he was making, but then again, maybe he has amazing hearing._

I held my breath, and when he started slowly turning, I lost it. I just _couldn't _let him know I was there. Call it a gut feeling, or maybe subconcious a warning from one of my old memories, but I knew that being discovered, especially by this guy, was not a good idea.

I had scrambled halfway to my destination, the ocean, before he had turned completely around. He was chasing after me now, shouting, "Wait! Wait! Who are you?! Where are you going?!"

I shot him one last frantic glance before diving into the surf.

It seemed that time slowed right then. Apon seeing my face, his features changed from confusion to disbelief. The thing that he said next made my jaw go slack against my will.

"Elianna! Is that you?!?"

And then, before I could stop myself, I plunged into the waves.

_He knows me. _I thought, but things were already going black.

* * *

**Haha! Cliffy! I promise I'll update faster next time. I told you the chapters would be longer! I just had to get into the story. I honestly didn't expect for that to happen. I mean, I knew she was going to meet someone, but that whole blacking out thing was totally spurr of the moment.**

**Review, please!**

**--holds a knife to your throat-- OR DIE!!**

**(Hey, I gave you blonde and innocent last chapter!)**


	3. Chapter 3

_A lone ship floating on a stormy sea. Flashes of lightning at midnight, over a city teeming with life. People clad in black clothes running through deserted alleys. A warm, grandmotherly face filled with wrinkles smiling for the first time in ages. The inside of a lush green forest during a rainstorm. Little girls in dresses spinning in circles and giggling. Bright green eyes filled with love and fear._

_A newspaper being thrown on a table. Angry voices. Fingers pointing. A CD spinning over, and over, and over......More voices. Whispers. A gunshot. Blood. Screams. Piles and piles of books upon books, stacked up to the ceiling. A key being thrown in the air, and the sound of metal jingling as it's caught. A safe, protective voice yelling 'RUN!'. A piano being played. The keys being pressed, going up, down, up, down....a soft melody filling the air. A clock. Vines. Boxes. Faces. Strumming. A flash of red hair. Wood. Flashing red lights._

_'~A'_

_Pink._

_Envelopes._

_Stereos pulsing with music._

_'Standing on the rooftops, everybody scream your heart out.....'_

_Cars._

_Pillows._

_Sirens._

_Elianna._

_Elianna....._

_"Elianna....."_

"Elianna!"

I sat up with a jolt, and put a hand to my chest only to realize I was hyperventilating. I looked up, only to see the guy from the beach, watching me with an amused expression on his face.

He leaned his face towards me, and smirked. "A little jumpy today, aren't we, Elianna?" That feeling of unease came back and hit me full force, causing me to fall back onto the pillow. It was only intensified when I realized that the sun was up, and we were no longer on the beach, but, instead, inside a small cottage.

I looked back up to glare at him, only to realize that he was across the room, cooking something in a pan. Ignoring the sweet aroma coming from the pan, I asked the most pressing question on my mind. "Where am I?" I practically snarled at him.

Sparing me a quick glance, he raised his eyebrows, and turned back to cooking. "You never were one to beat around the bush, were you, Elianna?" It didn't seem like he planned on answering my question any time soon.

I didn't realize I had actually growled until I felt my throat rumbling. But then the fogginess of sleep fell off of my mind, and I started thinking clearly. _Don't seem suspicious._ My instincts were screaming at me to flee as fast as I could, but my curiosity and thirst for answers got the best of me. That, and the fact that my attempt to move any of my limbs again failed miserably.

So it seemed like my only option was to stay there and manipulate this man who so clearly gave me the creeps into giving me some answers. I made a mental list of rules for myself, to make sure I didn't mess anything up.

_1. Take in everything._

_2. Assume nothing._

_3. Think before speaking, and do so only when absolutely necessary._

I decided that following the first one would be a good place to start. Upon closer examination, the sun was almost directly above us, as determined by the window not far from the small bed I was sleeping on. The cottage was actually bigger than I first thought, with half a wall separating it into two rooms.

In this room, there was the bed I was sleeping on, a stove and sink where _he_ was cooking, and a small, partially curtained window in between both. He seemed to be cooking something resembling pancakes, and preceded to flip them while I watched. _Show off._ I narrowed my eyes and moved on to the other room, which I could clearly see from where I was lying.

The second room contained only a fireplace and a couch, which you could clearly tell was past it's glory years. Finding nothing of importance, I turned my scrutiny to my host.

His hair color almost exactly matched mine, though his was lighter and more yellow. His eyes were so light that I almost mistook them for white, but then realized that they were very faintly tinged with blue-green, and reminded me very closely of the color of foam. _He could run against prince charming for looks._

I immediately gagged at my thoughts and turned to safer waters, like my next step, _assume nothing_. I paused my thinking, and turned my perspective around. _Now, what are the facts?_

_Well, lets see. I woke up at what I think is yesterday, and found I had lost my memory. I found a mysterious note in a bottle, and was followed and asked questions by this man. I jumped in the ocean and somehow blacked out, and woke up in a cottage after a strange dream with the same man, to find him cooking something that I am not allowing myself to assume is breakfast. The man also implies that he knows me and my name._

I pondered this. Did I have any reason to be suspicious of this man? No. Was I suspicious of him? Extremely. Do I have reason to be grateful towards this man? Most likely. Was I grateful? No. I decided that my instincts were probably messed up because of my amnesia, and decided I would ask the least suspicious most practical question that I could come up with, and try to gain his forgiveness for being so rude at the same time.

"Ummm...excuse me?"

He seemed surprised that I wasn't trying to spit venom on him, and turned from the pan that he had been so meticulously fawning over during my inner reverie.

"Yes?" He asked incredulously.

"Sorry for being so rude earlier," I said, flashing him a smile when he chuckled and shook his head, "But I was wondering.....what is your name? I don't want to keep addressing you as 'You'."

"You don't know my name?" He asked, even more shocked, and I thought I saw his pupils dilate.

"No....." I drug the word out, cocking my head to the side and trying to force my brain to remember why the fact that his pupils dilated would be of any importance at all.

"Oh." He smiled mischievously. "Well, you'll find out soon enough." And with that, he put a pancake on a plate, gave the plate to me, and walked out the door.

* * *

**Well. Yes, I know that I didn't answer any questions, like how she got there, or who he is. But I will in the next chapter! And I might even update again tonight!**

**(Insert a unanimous 'YAY!' here)**

**There is some foreshadowing in here, and some stuff that you'll only notice if you're as paranoid as me.**

**I'd love to know who you guys think the guy is, whether you think they'll fall in love, whether you think he's evil, what you think of her dream, what you think happened, where you think the story is headed....ect.**

**I will seriously give you a virtual cookie if you can guess at least one of the big shockers that I'll be revealing the next chapter.....I don't think I really foreshadowed it.**

**Keep in mind:**

**1. I am very paranoid**

**2. The summary.....it doesn't lie.**

**3. This story was put in 'Fairy Tales' for a reason.**

**REVIEW!! (They make little blonde paranoid me smile)**

**oh...and your other choice is death. FYI. : )**

**~The girl who just realized she was using her '1' account.....**

**ps. I just realized that this chapter sucked. A lot. I'm trusting TwilightDork to send it back to me if none of my sentences make sense....**


	4. Chapter 4

I simply sat there for a moment, stunned. Surely this situation isn't as odd as it seems. Sure, I am in a strange man's house (cabin maybe?), sitting in his bed, with no recollection of anything. He seems to know me, but also seems shocked by my amnesia. Maybe we haven't talked for a while? _I wonder if my amnesia could have been predicted in hindsight…._I shook the thought off. I was taking stock of the situation. My amnesia and it's possible causes could be pondered later.

Anyway, he won't tell me his name. I wonder why not? If I knew him, it shouldn't be that be that big of a secret, should it? Maybe he just wants me to figure it out for myself. He probably thinks it will jog my memory. Yeah, that's it. He must have dealt with these types of situations before. _I bet he takes in strange girls with amnesia all the time. _Oh shut up! I yelled at my brain. He's been nothing but nice, taking me in, telling me my name, and feeding me. There is no reason to paint him as a bad guy. My name…._Elianna. _I let it tumble around in my brain for a few seconds, tasting it on my tongue. Elianna. It's a nice name, I suppose. Pretty. I wonder how it's spelled? E-L-Y-O-N-A, maybe? What about E-H-L-E-E-A-W-N-A-H? Hmm. Neither of them seemed right. Shouldn't I be able to spell my own name?

_Shouldn't you be able to _remember _your own name? _My brain quipped at me. I huffed and focused back on my name. Elianna. It felt…weird. Wrong. Foreign. But wouldn't everything feel foreign to an amnesiac? But still…I would think my name would spark _something. _

_Maybe it's not your real name. _

I shook my head to clear it. This train of thought was getting me nowhere. I should get up; do something. Maybe get some fresh air. Yeah! And I could go try and find Mr. Mysterious…wherever he disappeared to. I might even figure out his name…or overhear someone say it.

With that thought, I crawled out of the sinfully comfy bed and stood up, stretching my stiff limbs. Thankfully, they seemed to be in working order now. I yawned, and shot a glance at the steaming pancakes still resting on the bed. Mmm….pancakes. My stomach rumbled again. No! While this guy seemed relatively legit, I still refused to eat his food. That would be a bit _too _trusting of me. He could still be a bad guy. _Some hot bad guy…_I glared at nothing in particular, wishing I could somehow disconnect my brain from the rest of myself. Thought like that were _not_ acceptable. And neither was eating this guy's pancakes. I walked purposefully away from the delicious-smelling pancakes and out the large wooden door.

And what I saw when I got out there was….wow. I was surrounded by a wall of trees, the cottage being the only house-like thing I could see. But that wasn't what made me stop dead in my tracks. It was the weird feeling I got in the pit of my stomach the moment I walked out the door. The feeling of…magic? Nostalgia? Belonging? I don't know, but it was…something. And I wasn't sure if I liked it.

Recovering from my moment of shock, I stepped towards the nearest tree. It was…translucent? I shook my head, looking towards the cabin. I may not know much, but I knew trees were _not_ see-through. At all. The cabin seemed to be normal….I looked back towards the tree. It was just a regular tree. Solid. Thick. Real. And not see-through. Odd…

It must just be an amnesia thing. My head is still probably confused from whatever caused my amnesia. Not to mention that dive I took into the water that was hard enough to knock me out. It's a wonder I can even think straight! No doubt my poor head is terribly traumatized.

I figured it needed a break from all that stress, so I just started wandering. Weaving in and out of the trees, going wherever my feet led me. Not thinking, not worrying about getting lost, not in a hurry to get anywhere. Just walking. It was surprisingly peaceful. Soon enough, I couldn't even see the cabin. I shrugged it off, not really having any particular ties to the place, and continued on.

The day was clear and the air was soothing, enveloping me in it's warmth. The smells of the forest comforted me and invited me into it's depths, pleading with me to keep moving, forget all my cares, and get swallowed up in the mystery. Had I been thinking straight, or thinking at all, I would have realized that I had already done this, but I was too enchanted by the forest to use my logic.

The birds sang, I saw chipmunks skitter up trees, and the forest came alive. I was led through the elaborate oak mazes and redwood caves, following a path only I knew. I smiled and laughed at the funny faces the squirrels made at me, and enjoyed myself for what felt like the first time in years. I was too happy to wonder why. Instead, I just kept wandering.

Surprisingly, I didn't run into _him_. You would think that he must be around somewhere, but it was like he had disappeared into thin air. Gone without a trace. _Just like you._

And suddenly the peace was shattered. The weight of the situation crashed back into my mind and settled back down on my shoulders. I was lost in the middle of a forest I had never seen before. I didn't know anything about where I was, and I had just wandered myself away from the one person who might be able to give me some answers, or even possibly direct me to where I needed to go. My mind started racing with all the things that could happen. I could be stuck in this forest forever, and slowly starve to death. My stomach rumbled and told me I should have eaten the pancakes, but I was too panicked to let it distract me. I could be eaten by rabid squirrels. They may have seemed okay with me, but for all I knew they could be trying to lure me into a false sense of security so they could eat me in my sleep. I shivered, hoping that the squirrels in this forest weren't carnivorous. Maybe I should try calling for help?

"Hello? Anyone?" I cried desperately, hoping with all my might that _he _was around and would hear me. The forest suddenly didn't seem so inviting anymore. I waited a few seconds for a reply. Nothing. Just the sound of those creepy squirrels hopping from branch to branch.

"Hello?" I tried one more time, my voice small with fear. I shut my eyes, wishing that it would all just disappear and I would wake up back in my room with Minnie and it would all just be a bad dream. No answer. I slowly opened my eyes. The forest had not gotten any lighter; if anything, the shadows had gotten longer and more foreboding. I sighed, and put my brain to work on a plan. I knew I wouldn't think of anything, but it helped distract from the panic building up in my chest.

As my mind went in circles analyzing the situation, it picked up on one of my last thoughts. All other thought trains suddenly came to a screeching halt. Did I just have a..a…._memory?_ I gasped audibly. But…who is Minnie?

I suddenly took off running. It was too much. I didn't care that the forest might still leave me starving and out of energy, or even a will to survive, or that the squirrels might be startled from my quick takeoff and try to kill me, I just needed to run. To get away. I didn't head in any specific direction, just letting my feet lead like before. I focused on avoiding trees and not on the fact that I was possibly going deeper into the forest. I ran and ran, feeling the wind in my hair and the sticks crunch against my bare feet. I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the blood on the bottoms of my feet and the nagging in the back of my brain. I ran, just to run. I had the fleeting thought that maybe if I ran far enough, I would eventually end up somewhere where my problems didn't exist or matter. I ran, leaving my hopelessness behind.

I didn't count the minutes as I ran, just the number of trees I passed, and the number of tears that slipped down my cheeks. Eventually everything just became a blur, and I started living from one breath to the next. I was no longer aware of the trees in my path, or the fact that my entire body was soaked in sweat and tears. I _did _give in and start counting the time, but only in heartbeats.

I couldn't tell you how far or how long I ran, but I'm sure it was a while. I ran out of 'eventually's and hopes. I ran out of dreams and problems. I ran out of tears.

And then…I ran out of energy.

And that's when I saw the break in the trees.

When I saw the….lights?

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. Thanks to nairiefaerie for the nagging. **** and to Twilight Dork for more of the nagging. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, quick A/N: Just trust the Main Character, okay? She knows more than she knows she does. Sorry it took me so long to get this out, though it wasn't nearly as long as last time. I actually planned on getting it out earlier, but things didn't work out. Hope you enjoy!**

I took the last few steps out of the forest, the realization that I must be on the outskirts of a city slowly dawning on me. How far had I run?

For a moment I was stunned into silence, that is, until someone turned on the volume.

"Pastries for sale! PASTRIES FOR SALE!!!!" Someone screeched right in my ear. I flinched and squinted my eyes against the bright sunlight.

"No! I _told _you that I wanted _three _orders! I don't CARE if it messes up your production rate! I told you THREE ORDERS!!" A lady in a business suit yelled as she walked past.

"OMG!! So I was like, at this store, right? And I saw the _cutest _dress. It was like dressy, and flowy, and cool and stuff? Yeah. And I was like, 'How much is this dress?' and the lady behind the counter was all 'It's on sale! Only three thousand dollars!' and I was like 'Really? What a steal!' and I got her to put it on hold for me because it is _sooooo _adorable. So? When are you going to buy it? Thanks! I love you!" Prattled a big eyed girl who was hanging off of a good-looking guy. I vaguely heard him utter an 'ummmmm…' before they were lost in the sea of voices.

"I am not crazy. Of course I'm not crazy. Why would I be crazy? I couldn't possibly be crazy. It is just not possible. And if it's not possible, it won't happen. See? There. I'm not crazy. Or am I? Maybe...." A man dressed in rags muttered to himself slightly hysterically. I averted my eyes and tried to acclimate myself to this loud, noisy city. How did I not hear this in the forest? It was just another question I filed into my brain to answer later. Soon, after a couple of deep breaths, the noise faded to a low hum.

Okay. First things first. _I need to find out where I am. _I glanced around quickly, trying to see above the heads of people for some sign of my location. Nothing. With my luck the only sign would probably be a big billboard screaming 'WELCOME TO THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS'. I chuckled a bit at myself before deciding I would ask someone. Preferably a smart, trustworthy someone. Now….where am I going to find one of those?

I scanned the crowd, looking for someone who looked helpful. Nada. The only thing it accomplished was making my head swirl with all the colors and faces. Ok…maybe I would have more luck if I walked around a bit? I looked behind me, internally slapping myself for doing so, because really, what was I checking for? If the forest was still there? Really? I sighed, and focused my eyes on where I just came from. Except…it wasn't. Still there. The forest. Where there used to be trees, there were just people, people, and more people. No woods, no little cabin, no cryptic man who knows my name. No explanations.

I could feel my jaw drop.

That's.

Not.

Possible.

I had experienced some odd things since I woke up, but nothing as mind-blowing as this. Whole forests cannot just _disappear._ That just does not HAPPEN.

I let out a frustrated growl. I'd only been awake for a couple days, and I was already sick and tired of all the cryptic messages, impossible sights, and disappearing acts. I was done. I was going to find out where I was, check myself into an asylum, and perhaps put an ad in the newspaper asking anyone who knows me to come forward. And that will be that. No more questions, no more illusions, and NO MORE mystery.

I stomped determinedly through the crowd, going towards the only thing around—more faces. They parted for me, albeit begrudgingly, but I managed to squeeze past a couple of people in the gigantic, moving mass. I decided I would just keep walking until I found something worth stopping for.

I wandered for a bit (I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately) until I came upon a sidewalk. It was less crowded than the street, and I was glad to be out of that claustrophobic's nightmare. Unfortunately, it was still very crowded.

"Excuse me." I muttered as I slipped between a particularly tight conglomeration of people. They made some disapproving sounds, but thankfully let me by.

And then the people cleared, and I saw….it.

It was a cart full of fruit, advertising them as a couple coins a piece, run down and made out of crudely nailed-together wood. Behind the cart sat a kindly old lady with skin as wrinkled as a smoothed-out tinfoil baseball. She smiled at passing people, and gave off an aura of warmth. Nobody seemed to be buying her fruit, but it didn't seem to bother her. She seemed perfectly content to just sit there and smile at people all day.

I pushed through the last of the crowd to get to her.

When I arrived, she smiled kindly at me. "Yes dear?" she asked patiently, her voice gravel.

"Um, hi." I smiled gratefully. Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Can you tell me what country I'm in? Or even what city? I'm new here, and I haven't quite gotten my bearings yet. I'd be eternally grateful if you could shed even the tiniest sliver of light on my situation."

She just stared. "The poor dear." She rasped fondly and…pityingly? After a moment.

"Excuse me?" I asked. Was I not clear? Maybe she had hearing problems.

"WHAT CITY IS THIS?" I questioned loudly. Surely she had heard that!

The old lady simply shook her head and sighed, and a couple people from the crowd turned around and stared at me like I was crazy.

Well, fine. It looked like I wouldn't be getting any help here, no matter how nice the old lady had seemed originally. I guess I would just have to keep looking.

I sighed and let my feet carry me away from the old lady and her quaint little stall. I let them carry me into a dark, peaceful, abandoned alley where they set me down, and gave me a chance to sort things out. I was immediately assaulted by questions. It bothered me less than it had at first though, now that my life _was _one big question. I felt like I had a giant question mark floating above my head, declaring to the world that I was lost, confused and vulnerable. Great time to be in a dark alley, no?

I smiled mirthlessly, and finally let myself ask the question I had been sitting on ever since I got out of the forest: who was Minnie? And what did it mean that I remembered a name? Were my memories coming back? Was it just a slip of the mind? Was it triggered by something? Was she a friend? A family member? An enemy? Was she my mailwoman? Did I even get mail? Did I have a house for mail to be sent to? _Getting off topic…_I thought to myself, and focused back on Minnie. What kind of name is Minnie, anyway? It seemed like a nice name, but that doesn't mean it's owner was…

_Okay, so what was I thinking about when her name came to me?_ I thought back to my long run, and the forest…(_the_ gone _forest.._ ), and I though back to what I was thinking about before I took off. Let's see…there were the rabid squirrels, which I now realized probably had no intention of eating me, and I remembered being scared, and wishing I were somewhere else….that this was all a bad dream. _That I would wake up, at home, in…in my _room with Minnie! That was it!! I was so excited by the information that I allowed myself to be distracted. And that was my mistake.

"Looking for something?" Came a whisper in my ear. I felt something, cold, hard, and metal press into my neck.

Like a shot, I was onto my feet. What happened next was a blur. I acted on instinct, not even pausing to think about what was going on. I felt my hands as they hit something hard, and my heart as it beat fast in my chest. And when my head cleared, _I _was the one holding the knife, with my attacker pinned against the building in front if me.

"Looks like the tables have turned." I shot at him. He eyed me warily, but there was something in his eyes. Respect? Appreciation? I didn't know, but I didn't trust it. I appraised him. I would like to know who attacked me, what kind of person he was, what he wanted from me, and why he thought it was acceptable behavior to attack girls in dark alleys.

He looked around my age, dark eyes, dark, ragged clothes, and auburn hair. Not bad looking, I supposed.

"So…what are you doing in a dark alley at this time of day?" I questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" he parried back.

"I wasn't going around assaulting innocent young women, now was I? Let's remember who has the knife here. I could easily kill you with just the flick of my wrist." I never would of course, and the mere thought sickened me, but he didn't need to know that. He obviously didn't believe I would either, judging from his snort. I gritted my teeth and held my ground.

"So?" I asked again, unrelenting.

He sighed. "If you must know, I really just didn't want you to get hurt. I know this city well and what goes on in it, and I figured I could wave my knife around and scare you away before you met someone REALLY dangerous. Obviously, I needn't have worried."

"Obviously." I wasn't sure if I believe him, but he seemed sincere. And truthfully, I was somewhat thankful if he _was _really just trying to keep me out of trouble. I never knew that I could defend myself before now, and I still didn't know if I could defend myself against more skilled, more dangerous attackers.

I looked into his eyes one more time and saw the truth there before I took the knife from his neck. It left a thin red mark from where it was seconds away from breaking the skin. I sighed. "Fine. You're free to go. But I'm keeping the knife."

He shrugged like this was no big deal, though he didn't leave.

"What?" I accused. I didn't like the calculating glance he was sending my way.

He shook his head. "Nothing…it's just….where are you from?" He wondered aloud, truly puzzled.

"Why?" I asked warily. Why did he care?

"You just don't seem like you're from here. And I've never seen you around before." Oh no. Did I look different? Was I immediately labeled as an outsider? I'd have to ponder this later. Obviously I didn't live here. But if I came off as a tourist, people would be less willing to help me.

"Not if you spend all your time in dark alleys, you wouldn't." I finally replied to him. He chuckled, and he looked a lot less menacing. I could finally make out the confused teenager in him. It consoled me, just a bit.

"Okay, okay," he relented. "It looks like I'm not going to be getting any information out of you, will I?" He stated good-naturedly.

"Nope." I popped the 'p'. He didn't seem so bad when he wasn't holding a knife to my throat. Then again, he could be just like the squirrels, trying to get me off my guard so that he can eat me!

Okay, that was a little out there, even for me.

"Well, do you at least have someplace to stay for the night? You obviously need some new shoes, and maybe a new dress."

I looked down at my feet, bloody and ragged. And then I looked at my now well-worn blue dress, and wondered where I would be sleeping tonight. The sun was slowly falling behind the clouds, scattering rays of light around like an overturned box of beads, and the shadows were creeping up on the road. Even the mass of people seemed to be letting up for the night, and buildings were turning their lights on, getting ready for the night. Where was the harm in allowing him to give me a place to sleep, just for a night? I sighed heavily, a bad habit of mine.

"No, I don't." I scuffed my feet on the ground and looked down.

He grabbed the hand without the knife in it, causing me to look up. "Hey." He said quietly, almost as if I were a small animal, spooked at the tiniest thing. "I've got room at my place. I won't try anything, I promise. Plus, I've got a girlfriend, though she's not in town at the moment."

I decided I could trust him. "Okay." I relented. "But I still have my knife."

He smiled. "I'm sure you do. I wouldn't ask you to relinquish it. Like I said, these streets are dangerous."

I stepped aside. "Well, in that case, lead the way." And I followed him through the streets, trusting him for my room for the night, and ultimately my life.

**Four pages! Woot! Longest chappie yet! And don't worry about the main character, she knows what she's doing…kinda. I would thank nairiefaerie and TwilightDork for the 'forceful persuasion' but I updated so fast they didn't have a chance to give it! And thanks to Iliana11 for TWO reviews last chapter; sorry I haven't responded to your last reply. I figured that I'd rather keep us BOTH alive by updating. But I will be replying soon…I didn't forget about you! Thanks everyone for reading…I really appreciate it. :-) But I appreciate reviews more. :D **


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